New Council of City-States
|population= 42 billion (estimated) |currency= |era= }} The New Council of City-States, often shortened to New Council or Helios Council and known as the allied Sangheili government to humanity, is the main governing body of and following the . Comprised of the most influential factions left after the , the New Council is the first widely accepted interstellar governing organization that the Elites have held since the dawn of . As of its establishment in August 2560, the New Council of City-States has formally recognized as its leader and cultural representative on the galactic stage. History Origins The seeds of the New Council of City-States could be found in the Coalition of Indignation, a powerful alliance that existed during the . Formed in 2559, the coalition was originally intended merely as temporary union between Sangheili factions which could effectively coordinate all of their assets and military actions against the Jiralhanae under a single command; as time progressed and the war neared its end however, the cultural, economic, and militaristic advantages of a permanently unified Sangheili species became exceedingly evident, even to some of the most staunchest warlords. In 2560, shortly after the coalition's decisive victory over the Brutes at and the conclusion of the Great Schism, the Arbiter—Thel 'Vadam—summoned the kaidons and warlords of that alliance to the in for a convocation regarding the future of the Sangheili. It was here, during this meeting that later became known as the First Assemblage, that 'Vadam proposed the establishment of a new legislative body to govern all Sangheili stellar territories in a multilateral, centralized manner. There was some resistance to this proposition by a scant few in attendance, as they perceived it as a threat to their sovereignty, so they departed with no intention of ever aligning with him or his allies again. Most, however, agreed that cooperation provided more benefits for their kind on the galactic level. Thus the New Council of City-States, modeled heavily after both the and the , began development with all of the kaidons, elders, and the like working for two full days to draft and ratify the charter for this new body―with its creation came the dawn of a new age for the Sangheili: the Age of Clarity. Reconstruction and reforms As news of the Jiralhanae's defeat continued to spread throughout former Covenant space, many Sangheili colonies who were once skeptical of Thel 'Vadam's abilities or apprehensive of joining his cause now began to flock to him, lending their support to the New Council with enthusiasm that the fledgling alliance had not expected. The New Council used this support to begin an extensive rebuilding effort across Sangheili territory, with particularly vast amounts of raw material coming from star systems like Rhonei and Khanoh, whose inhabitants still benefited from the conditions made by back in 2559. The New Council also organized a new military force known as the Combined Forces to defend its progress from external threats, with the council unanimously voting to appoint Resu Nar 'Yulvan―a hero of two wars―as supreme commander and head of the . 'Yulvan went about pushing for a number of new policies within the military that blurred the lines of the caste system previously established in the Covenant and ultimately translated to social changes within the civilian world as well, with Unggoy, Mgalekgolo, and others who earned their citizenship as auxiliaries being granted equal rights to the Sangheili. Reforms involving females and religion, which were initially pioneered by the , also became more wide-spread throughout Council space, bringing a large-scale cultural shift that hadn't been equaled since the time of the ratification. Strife and conflict Government and politics Assemblages Relations Economy Military As a means of enforcing its authority and protecting its interests, the New Council maintains a permanent military arm called the Combined Forces of the New Council. As its name would suggest, it is composed of select security assets from each member-state of the Council coordinated within a single chain of command. The organization of the Combined Forces largely mirrored that of the , with soldiers from various species regularly being led into battle by the Elites, but changes were implemented to the original, highly-discriminatory model both to improve practicality and efficiency, and to benefit all warriors who served regardless of race or religious beliefs. The Combined Forces of the New Council are under the direct supervision of the and is headed by a Supreme Commander, a position most-recently held by Resu Nar 'Yulvan. Sphere of influence